


Festival

by Haru D Nae (Anaelita), Kidha



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Friendships, F/F, F/M, Festivals, M/M, Meddling, Narcolepsy, Or not, Restaurants, and people freaking out, helpful friends, nerds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2018-09-23 09:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9649532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaelita/pseuds/Haru%20D%20Nae, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kidha/pseuds/Kidha
Summary: There is a huge cultural event starting this week-end in New-York. A Japan themed week with exhibitions, performances, shows and even an open-air market in Central Park until late at night.Izo and Perona are the main actors for the play, Zoro an adviser on swordsmanship.Thatch and Sanji work together at King's Galley, which happens to be just in front of the hotel the three foreigners stay at.





	1. Tourists in a restaurant

**Author's Note:**

> _Disclaimer : this is a totally self-indulgent fic written by two sisters who happen to like the same kind of fanfictions. We think it's going to be like ten chapters long or so, and updates will be slow. We wanted to create a modern AU where we could cram in all our favorite ships and situations, some elements may be similar to other AUs here on the AO3, it's a tribute to their authors for having given us the idea to build our own universe._
> 
> _That said, we hope you'll enjoy it, comments and reviews are always appreciated <3_

There is a huge cultural event starting this week-end in New-York. A Japan themed week with exhibitions, performances, shows and even an open-air market in Central Park until late at night.

Izou, as one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, has been invited to play the first role in a theater play. The second role is held by Perona, a young actress having recently made herself known with her performance as the Ghost Princess in the eponymous movie. As the play features scenes with swordplay, the organizers also invited Dracule Mihawk, kendo world champion, undefeated for ten years, to give some advice for better accuracy. He declined, saying that it would be a waste of his time. Instead he suggested they took his apprentice, Roronoa Zoro, who actively tried to escape from the unplanned travel until a certain reunion with the staff, where Perona told him there would be good whiskey overseas. He finally complied, hoping to find an opponent worth his while in the process as well.

They rehearsed for months in Japan so the entire cast, along with costumers, make-up artists and suppliers of all kind got to know each other quite well. Not all people traveled together, but somehow Izou, Perona and Zoro ended up in the same plane and the same hotel. After excruciatingly long hours of flight – Zoro hates planes : the noise, the people, the lack of room and privacy make it almost impossible to meditate, let alone sleep – and luggage retrieval, they head up to their hotel where they drop their belongings, and decide to have dinner together at the fancy restaurant across the street.

 

* * *

 

Sanji learned how to cook in France, being an apprentice at the Baratie. He wants to open his own restaurant one day, but he needs money to achieve his dream so he moved to the United States and is currently working at a great restaurant in New York. The place, named King's Galley, is actually owned by someone Sanji met during one of his early trainings, whom he befriended and kept in touch with after the training was over and the other went back to the States. The guy, Thatch, is easy-going and a great cook so it really is a pleasure to work with him, plus the place is classy and the customers are generally nice... all in all, he considers himself lucky and honored to work here as Sous-Chef although he doesn't have decades of experience.

Tonight is a busy Friday, with the Japan-themed week starting tomorrow and already bringing along its share of colorful, oddly yet classy-dressed customers. Sanji has a hard time not giving in and drool all over the ladies in yukatas, kimonos, who cares what it's called, it just frames their shapes perfectly. He doesn't, though, and when another order comes in he leaves the pass-through to greet one of his favorite waitresses. "My sweet Camie ! Always a pleasure to have you around~"

The young green-haired woman smiles and answers "As it is to work with you, Sanji-chin !" She dubbed him this when he arrived and though he's usually not a big fan of nicknames, she really looks too cute when she says it so he doesn't mind at all. "Table of three, and I think they're part of the Japanese festival thingy."

Sanji perks up. "Oh ?"

"Well, they're all Japanese, obviously, since they speak English with an accent and so, but there's one that's really pretty and classy, I'm sure they're a dancer, a singer or something."

Sanji hums, takes their orders then goes back to his work station, not without a glance at the pass-through, but the table-of-three is unfortunately out of view. When he's done with the first round of dishes, he exits the cooking area and waits near the door, casually leaning on the wall, watching the busy room from afar.

His boss, colleague, and friend, Thatch, leaves his post as well and shortly joins him. He pokes Sanji in the ribs and asks, smiling, "First break of the evening and all you do is stalking the clients ?"

"Stalking ? Please, I'm only admiring. And so are you", Sanji jabs back.

Thatch hums thoughtfully then admits, "Well I did hear Camie earlier, so I wanted to check that pretty dancer as well."

Sanji scans the room for Camie, to no avail. The cutie is probably taking a short break as well. He does, however, find another head of green hair, of a slightly darker shade and much shorter. He tilts his head, the restaurant's policy doesn't have anything against punks but it's still a peculiar sight in here. That allows for a better view of said punk's back, black clad broad shoulders emerging from the back of the seat, but who cares, it's not like Sanji's gay anyway.

Thatch notices the other chef's silent interrogation and looks in the same direction. Upon noticing the green hair, he frowns but doesn't comment, after all he doesn't care who eats at his place as long as they pay and respect the staff. Then he sees a pink-haired girl on the right, she is pretty in her own way but he doubts it's the dancer from Camie's table. On the left... tall, elegant, with long silky black hair, slender frame wrapped in a yukata, kimono, who cares what it's called it just suits them so well. "Them", because the first thought that crossed Thatch's mind when seeing this customer was "Holy shit, I don't know what gender you identify as, but you're hot."

Sanji snickers, "See something you like ?"

Thatch snaps out from his daze and huffs, "Nah, but I think I found your dancer."

"Yeah, it's the only table where there are three Japanese customers, so that narrows the search. I'm a bit disappointed though, sweet Camie could have said it was a man."

Just on cue, the young waitress appears out from nowhere and goes to check on her table. The supposed dancer tells her something, she smiles and nods, then strolls back to the kitchen. She spots the two chefs standing outside of the cooking area and waves at them, "Good thing you're both here, some customers would like to congratulate you on the food. Follow me, please ?"

Sanji and Thatch look at each other, smiling. They know they make great food, but actually having someone compliment their dishes is a rare, yet always deeply appreciated treat. Plus they'll get to have a better look at this mysterious dancer. They follow Camie through the busy room, checking the tables in the process, and making sure everyone is doing their job properly.

The three staff members arrive at the tourists' table and the chefs politely bow, according to their guests' cultural etiquette. They quickly assess the people at the table. The pink-haired woman wears dramatic make-up, she's probably younger than she seems, and looks oddly familiar when seen closer. The guy they thought was a punk actually looks pretty normal, except from the vertical scar closing his left eye. If anything he seems to be an odd-haired bodyguard. The person greeting them with a short bow is the dancer or whatever that wants to compliment the meal. The man – now they're pretty sure it's a man – is androgynous, wearing some kind of traditional wear that looks like it was meant to be unisex, and a thin layer of make-up that only perfects his otherwise fine traits. How he did not smudge his lipstick while eating is an impressive feat and a mystery.

The man finally speaks, wearing a warm smile, "It was by far the best meal I've ever had, congratulations."

"Well thank you, we always do our best to provide quality but we can only be sure when the clients say so", Thatch smiles.

Sanji inquires, "Is everything alright for your friends as well?"

The green-haired man grunts and nods, he doesn't seem to be the talkative type. He kind of stares at Sanji, too, and that makes him uncomfortable. Does he have something on his face ? On his clothes ?

The pink-haired lady dismisses the question with a wave with the back of her hand and a polite, "Yeah, thanks, everything's fine." There's an edge to her sentence that almost sounds like she wants them gone, but such a lady wouldn't be so rude as to send them back to the kitchen now, would she ?

Still pondering if he heard right, Sanji doesn't notice the table has been silent for a while nor that the long-haired man's gaze is fixed on Thatch.

Standing by, Camie coughs, interrupting his train of thoughts, and shyly asks, "Pardon my curiosity, but I've been wondering... would you be here for the festival going on this week ?"

"Why sure, that's why we're here. Izou here and myself are the main roles for the theater play that starts on Wednesday", the young woman motions to the long-haired man, that was in the end really not a dancer.

Thatch facepalms, "Of course ! I knew I had seen you somewhere. You're the one that played the Ghost Princess !"

Sanji frowns, he remembers seeing posters in town for the movie, but he isn't a fan of horror movies so he never actually watched it. So the girl was the main role then ? Then they have a star, wait, probably two, in the restaurant !

The young actress states, "Call me Perona. The brute on my left is Zoro. He's an adviser for swordsmanship. Well, obviously _he_ wouldn't have a role in the play..."

The fake punk – Zoro – glares at her. "Oi ! I didn't want to be here in the first place."

Sanji reasons, "But you get to spend time with such a wonderful lady ! You're so lucky..."

Zoro silently studies the cook, then explains, "No, she's not wonderful. She's an insufferable brat that can tell you the worst things and make you feel like shit, it's like an evil super power."

Perona indignantly huffs, "Don't you dare call me brat, you're younger than me."

Zoro snaps back, "Only brats care who's older than who !"

Sanji is about to berate Zoro for insulting a woman when Izou intervenes, shushing them softly, "Well, to me, old or not, you're both too noisy. Please behave."

Thatch casts a quick glance at Sanji, alright, this man is the mature one. They have to go back to the kitchen though, as another table found its customers and orders will shortly be in. He excuses himself and Sanji, and adds before leaving, "At any rate, please, tell Camie if you need anything and we'll make sure to cater to your needs."

Then they stroll back to their workstations, unaware of the stares Sanji and Thatch get from Zoro and Izou, respectively, Perona snickering behind her hand.

 

Time passes by and the last round of customers come in, among them a couple of regulars, who sit at the last available table.

As soon as the menu is in front of them, the blond one says, "Take what you want, I know you're hungry."

The freckled one flashes him his brightest smile, "Thanks, you're the best ! I'm starving, and the food here is just so awesome I could eat everything they have."

"You're right when you say it's the best." After a moment, frowning, he adds, "Ace, just remember I still have to buy food for back home..."

The young man snickers, "Sure, I'd hate to have to resort to cannibalism... I wouldn't mind if it was you I had to eat, though." He wiggles his eyebrows to emphasize his point.

His boyfriend sighs and shakes his head, unimpressed and clearly used to that kind of behavior. Then he gets up and says, "Choose what you want, I'm going to say hi to Thatch before we start."

"Take your time, Marco. I have a little brother too, I know what it's like", Ace winks at him and starts emptying the basket on the table from its content, or one could say stuff his face with the complimentary bread.

Once the blond is back from the kitchen, they place their orders, not forgetting the appetizers to keep Ace from complaining about the wait.

 

An hour flies by and a few tables start to empty themselves, the remaining people decide to have a few drinks after dinner. The restaurant's bar is furbished enough to cater to everyone's needs, and while most people know their limits, a couple of men are getting louder with each downed drink, and starting to bother the rest of the clients.

The first one is tall and lean, wears heart-shaped glasses, and is currently trying to get a waitress's phone number... and failing miserably.

The other is a shorter but stronger-looking pink-haired man, insisting lewdly, "Come on, sweetie, don't you wanna come home with us ?", before he not-so-discreetly gropes her ass.

The waitress slaps his hand and excuses herself politely, making her way back towards the kitchen to warn her colleagues about the harasser.

On the other side of the room, Perona is quietly insulting – in Japanese of course – the two men for being such uncute primates incapable of keeping their hands or other body parts to themselves.

Izou nods in agreement, he hates this kind of displaced behavior, especially coming from men towards women. One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.

Zoro orders another drink, hoping something interesting will happen.

Mere minutes after the door has closed behind the waitress, Sanji goes through it in the opposite way, and casually walks towards the drunk men's table. He gives them a courteous smile and simply remarks, "I see you appreciate our Itzulburger Stein, our of our best wines." After a nod from his interlocutors, he continues, "Good thing a gentleman knows when to stop drinking."

Marco and Ace perk up, as regulars of the restaurant they have witnessed similar situations and there are only two ways it can end. Either the customers prove themselves reasonable and leave without a fuss, or they're up for a trip at the hospital.

The pink-haired man scowls at him and snarls, "And what do you know about being a gentleman ?You're just a waiter."

Sanji calmly explains, "I'm actually a Sous-Chef, and I'm no Lord but I know how to pay respect to the ladies."

The other man, who kept silent until then, turns towards Sanji and slurs, "Or... the lady could show more respect to us and accept a kind invitation..."

Now Sanji's really pissed but he's not willing to throw a tantrum in the middle of his working place yet, so he indulges them a last chance. "She's entitled to whatever she wants. But if you keep on insisting I may have to kick your sorry asses out of here."

The pink-haired man plays dumb, "Say what ?", and Sanji has to repeat himself more clearly.

That is, he bends his upper body to the side and throws his foot at the idiot who should have kept his mouth shut, making him fall of his chair in the process, and now he's lying on the floor like the bag of shit he is. Then, one corner of his mouth slowly lifts and Sanji kindly reminds his earlier words to the stupid-haired and gaping-mouthed brute still sitting on his chair, "I said, I may have to kick your sorry asses out of here."

The man jerks back, distancing himself from Sanji. His chair falls loudly behind him, and he's totally unaware of the now quiet surroundings and all the people looking at the scene, as he can't detach his gaze from the waiter – no, Sous-Chef.

Sanji walks around the man on the ground, and pokes him in the ribs with the tip of his shoe, a disgusted look plastered on his face. He would show more respect if he spat on him.

Snapping from the initial shock, the man suddenly starts to rummage in his pockets and finds something shiny that he puts on his hand... Brass knuckles.

The cook quickly registers he's the aim for a solid punch, and he ducks just in time. He feels the pressure of the air pushed forward above his head, and doesn't waste a second shooting his leg up in a high-kick in the chin that sends the bastard flying towards the restaurant's front door.

The whole room is watching wide-eyed, except from Ace, snickering behind his hand – he had it coming –, Marco, using the opportunity to eat in peace, and Zoro who wears a sly smile, concealing his awe at Sanji's flexibility.

The pink-haired man groans on the floor, and Sanji has to remind himself not to beat him into a pulp. Not that he cares about the bastard, but he still has desserts and a few dishes to prepare tonight – he suspects Ace is the main responsible for that – and time is passing by.

Fortunately a pink-haired lady rises from her table – seriously, doesn't anyone have normal hair anymore ? – and states, "Hina will take care of it. Hina is a police officer."

Though a bit taken aback by the woman's wording, Sanji lets her cuff the two drunkards and drag them out of the place, but not before borrowing their wallets and making sure they pay for the dinner and the drinks – plus a large tip for their waitress.

Once the restaurant is cleared from the obnoxious men, Sanji reassures the remaining customers, "The Galley doesn't have a policy as to who enters the place, but is much more strict as to how employees are treated. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to resort to violence, but as you can see the matter is already in the hands of the police, so you may continue to enjoy your evening in peace." He politely bows to the room and walks back to the kitchen, the conversations resuming their normal course in his wake as if nothing happened.

Ace suddenly grabs Marco's hand and whispers, "Look, look, over there !"

"What ? The show's over, yoi."

He insists, "No, on your right", looking pointedly in the aforementioned direction. "The guy with the green hair. The way he was staring at Sanji... When I look at someone like that they're in my bed two hours after, tops, especially when it's someone that flexible."

Marco scowls and inhales deeply.

Ace gulps then sheepishly amends, "When I _looked_ at someone like that... Anyway, what I was saying is that the dude over there seems to hit on him."

Marco dismisses his previous annoyance and answers, "They're obviously tourists, they're probably just shocked by what happened", paying attention to the other's table nevertheless.

 

Another few tables are freed and the remaining people in the restaurant are all at least enjoying their desserts, if they're not already tipsy from the many post-dinner drinks they had. That means it's the end of the rush in the kitchen and the cooks finally have a bit of spare time.

Sanji takes a well-deserved smoke break outside the front door, while Thatch uses the opportunity to go and say hi to Ace.

Izou's eyes lock on Thatch the moment he passes through the kitchen door, and they follow him until the nearby table. He doesn't notice that Marco caught him red-handed and is smirking at his staring. He does notice, though, the tall blue-haired girl approaching with a notebook and a pen.

She holds them tight against her chest and starts to talk, a bit too fast and a bit too high for Izou's preference, "Excuse me, you're _the_ Izou, right ? I mean, of course you are, I wouldn't be here if you weren't. I'm a big fan. My friends always tell me I should watch normal movies, but I'm like, _so_ much more sophisticated, and classical Japanese movies are my favorite, and here you are. So could you please sign an autograph ? For me, of course."

Izou lifts an eyebrow, he'd rather do this fast so he gets rid of her, she already gets on his nerves, "Sure, what's your name ?"

"Porche", she answers, handing him her pen and notebook, and starts ranting again, looking at the two other people at the table she ignored until then, "Oh, of course you're here for the festival. It's very nice of you to take your make-up artist and car driver to the restaurant."

"I'm not a car driver", Zoro growls, menacingly scowling.

Perona crosses her arms high against her chest and huffs, "And I'm an actress too, but you're too uncute to get my autograph."

The blue-haired girl rises her hands defensively, totally unconvincingly apologizes, "Oh, I didn't mean it _that_ way", then adds "I mean, you're just not in the same league, _obviously_ , so..."

Sanji throws the butt of his now finished cigarette in the conveniently placed ashtray, then gets back inside. He sees a lovely lady at the tourists' table, talking and... suddenly, Zoro is standing up and taking a combat stance, shirt and vest ripped at the seams. By the movement alone. Like, the guy basically just tensed his muscles and it broke _two_ layers of fabric. Sanji is absolutely not staring at the display of strength – and skin. After a moment to process the image, he rushes to the table to prevent the indecent brute from hurting a lady.

Said brute simply states, "Take your autograph and leave before I cut you."

"You left your katanas at the hotel, you dumbass", Perona remarks, earning a glare from Zoro.

Izou hands back the notebook and the pen, sighing, obviously irritated by both his compatriots' and his annoyingly arrogant fan's antics.

Sanji stops a few inches away from Zoro and glares at him. "Oi, mosshead, don't you dare hurt a lady in my restaurant. You saw earlier what happens to that kind of customers here." But he receives a slap on the head.

Thatch followed the exchange from the nearby table where he was still chatting with Ace and Marco, and just couldn't let that one slip, "Sanji, it's _my_ restaurant. " He observes the people present and amends, "Though it's true we have certain policies, I'd rather not have another customer with a broken nose tonight, if possible. Can we find a more... civilian solution ?"

Izou nods in agreement, showing a hint of a smile that from a few feet away, Marco doesn't miss.

Porche huffs indignantly, "Well if that's how you treat me, you'll never see me again !", and with that she turns on her heels and leaves, behind her the people from her table gloomily following.

Thatch catches Sanji by the collar and drags him back to the kitchen. "Come on, we still have some cleaning to do."

 

Only two tables are left occupied, and as Marco starts to think it's time to go home, Ace offers, grinning, "Let's go to the other's table. Y'know, drink, talk and stuff. They look fun."

"I think one of them drank more than enough, it's amazing he hasn't collapsed already."

"Maybe he's a superhero and alcohol is like water to him. Let's ask him about it", Ace insists.

The other sighs. "Or, we could go home, I'm tired and unlike some, I have to work tomorrow."

Ace pouts, "Hey, I work too !"

"Please, you start your shift in the afternoon. I wake up at 6", Marco deadpans.

The freckled man does his puppy eyes, he knows Marco hates it but can't resist it anyway, "Oh come on, just one drink, I promise you'll get enough sleep."

The blond throws his head back, groans, knows he lost this battle – one too many – and sighing, starts getting off his chair.

Ace all but jumps from his chair and grabs the other's hand, "Yay !"

Marco lets himself be dragged along, albeit reluctantly.

The young man waves at the tourists, "Hey, do you mind if we sit here ? Just for a drink ?"

As Zoro and Perona exchange a curious look, Izou motions to the free chair and speaks for the three of them, "You're free to join us."

Marco grabs a chair behind him and sits between Ace and Izou, a little outside the other's circle but still observing.

"So, I'm Ace, and this is my boyfriend Marco. The Chef is his little brother. What about you ? I think I heard earlier you were here for the festival ?"

"Indeed. Perona here and myself are the main actors in the play, for which Zoro is an adviser, as a specialist on swordsmanship. My name is Izou, by the way."

Ace grins, "Niiice. We should come see you then."

Perona chimes in, "We'll play from Wednesday to Sunday, but you should book your places in advance, it's supposed to be an expected event."

"We'll make sure to", Ace answers, and winks at Marco, who shrugs.

"Yeah, it'll be nice for once to have an evening out that doesn't involve getting drunk or partying like it's world's end", he teases.

"Hey, not my fault everyone's throwing the best parties. And tonight we're not doing either of that", Ace retorts.

"Right", Marco concedes.

Zoro resumes the conversation, "So you said you knew the cooks ?"

Ace lifts an eyebrow, turning to face Zoro, puts an elbow on the table and rests his chin on his hand. "I said Marco was the Head Chef's brother. But yeah, we know a few other people here." He smirks, "Which one do you want to know about ?"

"None in particular", Zoro deadpans, much to Ace's disappointment. "I was just wondering if they were all capable of sending a customer flying."

Ace laughs heartily before answering, "No, that's just Sanji. From what I've gathered he learned how to cook in a restaurant employing only former convicts and delinquents of all kind. I bet that's just their way to say hi. Still, that guy earlier really went too far."

The whole group nods in agreement, and Perona comments, "That kind of douche-bag should be made to regret the day he was born. I wish I could have done it myself."

Marco frowns and asks, "Weren't you... shocked by the whole scene ? It's pretty unusual for staff members to fight with a customer, after all."

"I'm not easily shocked by violence. Although most of them were staged or performed as stunts, I've had my fair share of fights on stage and in the studios", Izou explains.

Marco turns to Perona as she reiterates, "As I said, if I had to deal with him I would have made him understand that amoebas are way more important living creatures." He smiles, making a mental note to stay on the good side of the young woman, and turns to Zoro.

"I'm a swordsman", he says, and if it wasn't enough of an explanation, his little outburst from earlier already convinced Marco that he might, indeed, be used to violence on a daily basis.

Perona tells him, "Useless swordsman, since all your stuff is at the hotel. Told you that already when the other girl was here", and sticks her tongue out at him.

Zoro counters, "Not my fault, Izou insisted I leave them." He shrugs at Izou rolling his eyes, and adds, "And I wouldn't be that "useless" if I had a place to train."

"Actually, I know such a place", Marco pipes up. Interpreting Zoro's lifted eyebrow as a silent question, he explains, "One of my brothers trains with swords too."

"Oh ? Interesting. So what is this place, and where is it ?"

"It's a dojo downtown. Usually my brother goes there on Mondays and Thursdays, I can ask him if he wants a sparring partner if you want ?"

"That would be awesome", Zoro beams.

Marco searches his vest pocket for his wallet, and finding the desired item, he says, "Here, take my card."

Zoro takes the piece of card stock, frowns for the while it takes him to decipher it – after all, it's not written with the first alphabet he learned – and inquires, "You're a photographer ?"

Marco shrugs, "Yeah, though I'd like to practice more. I teach History at the university and it's a bit time-consuming."

Perona perks up at that, "Really ? I've always admired people who can teach, it's way harder than it seems."

"True story", Marco smiles. "But it's rewarding in its own way."

Zoro mutters, "Some are really bad at it."

Perona glares at him, "Would you for once stop talking about Mihawk or swords ?"

"No, that's what I live for", Zoro deadpans.

"But I don't care about swords, that's so uncute !"

Ace lifts an eyebrow at that. "Oh ? What is cute then ?"

Perona hums. "You are kind of cute. Because of the freckles."

Marco snickers, "You haven't seen him stuffing his face with food."

That has Izou and Zoro chuckling more or less discreetly, and Perona grimacing, half-disgusted.

"Ow, mean ! Not my fault I'm always hungry", Ace complains.

 

Once done cleaning their respective workstations and most of the room, the staff leaves the place, and among them Camie, strolling happily towards the group.

Sanji shortly follows after her, and properly says hi to Marco and Ace.

"Oh, I see you've made new friends, I was hoping the little incident earlier hadn't scared you", Camie says a little worriedly.

Zoro grunts, "Would take more than that."

Camie fidgets for a moment and asks shyly, "By the way, can I ask for your autograph ? I know it may sound stupid but it's not everyday I get to meet someone famous..."

Perona smiles and searches her own bag for a pen and a piece of paper. "Of course ! You're so much cuter than the girl from before !"

Sanji chimes in, "Camie really is cute ! Her wonderful hair reminds me of a mermaid~"

Izou lifts an eyebrow and states, "They're the same colour as Zoro's."

Said swordsman looks up at Sanji, waiting for his reaction, and is rewarded by a creeping blush going all the way up to Sanji's ears and down into his shirt – he idly wonders how far it goes –, before his brain catches up with the parallel. He spits at the actor, "Oi, don't you dare compare me with a mermaid."

Perona is now done writing her autograph but she hesitates for a while, holding the pen above the paper. Then she purses her lips and scribbles down her phone number, folding the paper in two right after, and handing it to Camie.

"Thank you !", the young woman says, and while she opens her freshly written autograph, her eyes widen just a bit. "Oh."

"Don't misunderstand me. You're cute and you seem to be really nice, I thought maybe we could hang out during the week. Motioning to Zoro and Izou, Perona adds, "It's not like I'll stick with these two all along anyway."

Camie slightly bows, visibly embarrassed, then shyly explains, "I'd like to. It's just... I wouldn't want you to hope for something that's not going to happen." Seeing Perona's raised eyebrow, she clarifies, "I'm asexual."

Perona smiles at her, "Really ? It's okay, as I said I thought we could hang out is all. I might like cute company but I'm not one to prey on them."

"You can still have a date with me, cutie-chan~", Sanji pipes in.

The actress deadpans, "No thanks, I'm gay." Smirking, she adds, "But if you want someone for tonight you have Zoro here."

Said swordsman doesn't flinch or move an inch when his name is said, neither when Sanji acts offended, quickly retorting "I'm not gay !" He does huff, though, when after a few seconds of awkward silence at the table the Sous-Chef amends, "Not that it's a problem, I'm not homophobic either." What he doesn't know though, is that in the little time that passed, Sanji had a good look at him and filed him somewhere in his head under "kinda hot overmuscled Neanderthal".

Perona shrugs, "As you want", searches her bag once more for a piece of paper and hands it to Izou, who traces a few kanji before giving his autograph to the delighted waitress.

Zoro, feeling nothing more will happen – at least nothing of interest –, decides to take his leave and gets up from his chair.

"Are you heading back to the hotel ?", Izou inquires.

"Yeah, planes and jetlag are my personal hell, I need some sleep."

"I understand, I won't be staying long either."

Marco reminds, "So you call me in the weekend and I'll talk to my brother about the dojo, alright ?"

"Will do", Zoro smiles – and Sanji notices for the first time that he doesn't look so mean that way.

Ace holds his hand out, grinning, "T'was nice to meet you."

Zoro shakes the raised hand and bows to the rest of the table before turning to Camie, "Where do I pay ?"

Sanji intervenes, "Don't bother poor Camie with overwork, can't you see she's done already ? I'll take care of that."

The green-haired man shrugs but follows the cook towards the cash register at the closest waiter's station.

Meanwhile, Camie bids the actors good night, promising Perona to call her when she's available during the week, and hugs Marco and Ace as goodbye – they're appreciated regulars and she's physically demonstrative with the people she likes.

As Zoro leaves the restaurant, Sanji rejoins the four remaining customers and they resume their conversation, the actors asking about the local places they won't find in touristic guides, and the new-yorkers satisfying their curiosity about Japanese culture.

A few minutes later Thatch emerges from the kitchen. He announces "Closing time !", and with a smile, makes his way to the last occupied table. Facing Izou and Perona, he speaks, "I'm glad to see you've found good company, but I'm afraid I have to close now. Feel free to pass by another time if you want to try our other dishes."

Izou smiles and has a hint of playfulness in his voice when he answers, "Actually, I was thinking of making this place my canteen for the week."

"I wouldn't mind, the food is good and the people are nice", Perona approves.

Thatch beams at the compliment, exhausted but smiling like a kid on Christmas. "Thank you, I would be honored", he finally says.

Izou gets up from his chair. "Then it's settled. Perona, we should leave and let these gentlemen have a well-deserved night."

Perona frowns, "We deserve it as well. Eighteen hours between planes and airports, ugh !" Then she gets up as well, Sanji ushering her to her coat.

While he helps the actress putting on her black corseted vest, he glances outside as he sees a flash of green that reminds him of Zoro. He pauses, making Perona fidget impatiently. He immediately excuses himself, gets back to his task and mutters to himself, shaking his head "Can't be the marimo, he left a while ago."

Izou perks up at that, "Oh, you know about marimos ? Ever been to Japan ?"

Sanji blinks, not expecting to be caught red-handed, but answers casually, "Nope, I read about them on the net."

"Oh, so I suppose you've read that they're considered a national treasure. Interesting nickname you've chosen for that brute..."

Sanji blushes and denies vehemently, "Didn't know ! And I call him that because of the color. Not because of some kind of stupid treasure story !"

Ace explodes in laughter, earning a questioning look from Marco and a heated glare from Sanji.

Perona not-so-helpfully supplies, "He's not a treasure, and trust me, he's neither a gift, nor gifted."

Ace doubles over, Thatch getting caught in the laughter and even Izou starts to chuckle. After a few breathtaking seconds, between pants, Ace asks, "Hey, but he has a gift with alcohol, right ?"

"Most humans would have collapsed after drinking as much as him and he didn't even seem drunk, does he really have that inhuman of a tolerance ?", Marco details.

"Pretty much", Izou and Perona stammer at the exact same time.

Ace scratches the back of his head, somewhat impressed. "Wow."

"Well, that's one mystery solved. Still, the restaurant is closing and I suppose we should get going as well", Marco reminds.

Thatch sheepishly explains, "Yeah, the day's been kind of rough already and with the upcoming festival we're sure to have all tables occupied during the week, I'm not exactly planning on overworking so soon."

Marco goes to hug Thatch and bid him luck for the next days, while Izou and Perona go and pay for their respective dinners with Sanji. Ace crams in his mouth the remains of the complimentary bread – of the tourists' table, of course.

After paying for Ace's and his dinner, while King's Galley's last lights are being turned off, Marco rejoins the rest of the people outside. As Izou and Perona take their leave, he waves at them. "See you around, then. I'll go buy places for the play soon."

Izou and Perona wave back, smiling, the latter happily exclaiming, "Great ! Nice to meet you !", before they make their way back to their hotel.

Marco walks Ace to his car, finally able to go back home and rest after a long – but interesting – evening.

 

A few minutes later Sanji is outside as well, lighting one too many cigarettes to keep him busy for his walk back home. He helps Thatch draw the metallic curtains outside, wishes him goodnight and goes down the street, yearning for a hot shower and his bed. However, his usual stroll in the night is disturbed by the sight of a familiar shade of green.

Three blocks away from the restaurant, just a few feet in front of him, Zoro is sitting on a step in front of a music store, seemingly confused, looking in the vague. Sanji approaches him casually, never altering his pace, then comes to a stop at his feet and pokes the other's knee with the tip of his shoe.

The swordsman looks up at him, blinks twice before slightly scowling at Sanji and grumpily asks, "What do you want ?"

Sanji frowns, "And what are you doing out here that late ? You said you were going back to your hotel a while ago. Are you lost ?"

"I'm not !", Zoro denies, but his cheeks took a slight pink tint and that's enough to convince Sanji that he's right.

The blond smiles, "It's okay, it's your first time in New-York, right ? I got lost a few times when I first got here, the city's huge !" Then he sighs, remembering cab prices, and offers, "Tell me what your hotel is, I can walk you back."

Zoro looks back at Sanji, taking the time to process the information, and beams, "That would be great ! I'm staying at Tesoro Hotel."

A curly eyebrow raises. "Wait, Tesoro Hotel ? As in the Tesoro Hotel that's in front of King's Galley ?"

"How would I know, it's my first time here", Zoro mutters.

"No, what I mean is... it's literally just in front of the restaurant." Sanji's visible eye widens and a playful smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. "How could you miss such a big place right under your nose ? Are you that bad with directions ?"

"Dunno, wasn't looking", Zoro grunts. He unconvincingly scowls at Sanji, before continuing, "If you're not going to help you can leave."

Sanji laughs at that – Zoro kind of looks cute like that, half-angry, half-pouting and denying the evidence –, but holds out his hand to help Zoro up. "It's alright, marimo, I'll get you back home."

Said algae ball frowns but surprisingly doesn't comment on the nickname, instead takes the offered hand and rises from the steps he had been sitting on.

Sanji can't help the shiver at the feeling of Zoro's hand in his, warm and calloused, yet somehow soft and comfortable ; nor can he stop the gasp escaping him the moment the other man's imposing stature is standing in front of him, at eye level. He notices how Zoro's shoulders are much broader than his – how not to, the moron still wears his ripped shirt and vest – and he has the sudden and very bizarre urge to kiss the green-haired man's chiseled jaw. What the hell ? He steps back, leaving the strangely welcomed warmth and coughing awkwardly, then starts making his way back to the restaurant – and the hotel. He watches behind his shoulder and launches, "I suggest you follow me if you don't want to get lost again."

Zoro looks at his still raised hand, already missing the cook's fingers lodged in his – so pale, delicate yet strong, warm and with no doubt expert at whatever task they're missioned with – then looks back at the blond. Did he just dream or did Sanji just check him out ? He shakes his head and goes towards the other who's already resuming his walk.

They walk in silence, occasionally stealing glances from the other. There's a slight tension building during the while it takes them to reach their destination, but neither of them speaks or acts on it.

When they reach the now closed restaurant, Sanji motions to the other side of the street, "There you go." He snickers and adds, "Don't get lost this time."

Zoro glares angrily at Sanji, before bowing lightly and muttering a thanks. After that he proceeds to the pedestrian crossing, finally able to go back to his hotel room.

The cook watches as the green-haired man enters the tall building, lighting himself another cigarette, wondering why he's sort of impressed next to him and also, how on Earth the mosshead managed to get lost on such a short journey. Shrugging the stupid questions off, he resumes his journey back home.

As Sanji falls asleep, he wonders what other surprises the festival is going to bring this week.

 


	2. Making plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saturday comes and everyone makes plan for the weekend and the upcoming week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Sorry for taking so long to update, we'll do our best to post the next chapters faster :3_

Saturday comes and the city gets busy, stirred up by the festival starting today. The streets get filled by people galore, willing to make the most out of the day. Somewhere in the neighborhood though, three Japanese travelers are currently oversleeping due to jetlag and exhaustion.

 

A little after noon, Izou blinks awake in the foreign hotel room, takes a moment or two to remember where he is and why, then sits on the side of the bed and starts to think of a plan for the day. The final rehearsals are on Monday and Tuesday, so everyone is free today, and they could either rest and catch up with the timezone, or go visit one of the places they talked about with the locals yesterday – quite an interesting bunch they met, actually, Izou smiles at the thought.

The actor stretches and gets up, walking towards the bathroom, hoping a shower will help him decide himself. The warm water works wonders and as he relishes the hot stream, Izou decides to let his traveling companions sleep in for a while, they deserve a good night as well. He can always lounge in his room, even if he's not sleeping he can still rest.

After dressing up casually, Izou orders room service for brunch, and reads the complimentary newspaper while waiting for the others to call him.

 

Around 2 pm Perona wakes up, cursing her cellphone for the alarm clock she didn't disable after taking all those damned planes. She feels hazy and tired, but knows that if she goes back to sleep now she'll never adjust to the timezone. She'd better get ready and call the others to see what they're up to.

Between the never-ending shower, the trying and choosing of a correct outfit, the absolute need to apply make-up, and the dozen other necessary things to do before even thinking of getting out of the hotel room, Perona takes a good hour to prepare herself. Having learned during the rehearsals in Japan that Zoro really wasn't the one you should try to wake up – the brute spends unreasonable amounts of time napping, as long as no task has been entrusted to him – and decides to check on Izou first.

Calling the nearby hotel room, she decides with her fellow actor to go on a walk around the block, for the time being, and look around for a few places they discussed about with the locals the night before. The swordsman is probably still sleeping anyway, and should be able to reach them by phone if need be.

 

Zoro stirs up from his dreamless sleep around 3 pm, disturbed by the light peering through the curtains. Too lazy to get up and draw them closed, though, he turns around, grabbing the blanket to cover his head and falls back asleep.

 

Meanwhile, a few miles away downtown, a burly man is knocking at his older brother's door.

Said door opens to reveal a smiling Marco. "Vista ! Glad you could come in early, I have tons of stuff to tell you about. Come in", he motions to the inside of the flat he shares with Ace.

His brother steps in, and makes his way to the couch, already familiar with the premises. "First things first, Pops says hi."

"Of course he does !", Ace chimes in, emerging from the close-by kitchen with an over-sized sandwich. "Tell him we do too and we'll come by soon."

"Ace, we just refilled the fridge, I'd appreciate if you didn't empty it right away...", Marco complains.

Vista laughs at the obscene display of meat, vegetables and sauce dripping from every side of the bread and on the plate it's piled onto. "You'll never change him. I can't believe he's really eating that, though."

The freckled man lifts an eyebrow and smirks, sits near his guest on the couch and defiantly states, "Watch me." All that's left visible of his face in the next minutes are his eyes, peering behind a mountain of food through which he bites earnestly.

"So, now that the walking stomach is too busy to interrupt us", Marco starts, ignoring the scowl from his lover, "Let me tell you about yesterday night. We went to the Galley-"

"Best place in town !", Vista interrupts him, beaming.

Marco chuckles, "True story. So, we were there and we met Japanese people coming for the festival."

"Really ? Like, people who traveled _that far_ to see the festival or they're taking part in it ?"

"Actually, two of them are actors, we said we'd go see them play by the way, you're welcomed to join us if you want. But I wanted to tell you about the third one, he's a swordsman and he needs a place to train. I know you go to a place downtown but I couldn't remember the name back then, also, would you by any chance need a sparring partner ?"

"Oh. Why not, I usually spar with the people from my dojo but I could always use some new techniques, could be interesting. I was planning to go there on Tuesday for once, I traded days with a colleague at work to go see Pops on Monday."

"Great, I told the swordsman to call me in the weekend so he should contact me any time now. I'll tell him about the dojo..." Marco hums thoughtfully and adds, "You know what ? You give me the address, and I'll drive him there."

Barely finishing his sandwich, Ace sputters around a mouthful of food, "Hmmanna come thoo !"

Vista lifts an eyebrow at that, "That would be a first. Since when are you interested in swordsfight ?"

Swallowing the remains of his meal, Ace deadpans, "I am not. But the guy is interesting."

Marco scowls at his boyfriend, "How so ?"

Ace sighs. "Alright, alright. I am not interested in the man _himself_ , but I wanna know if he's a good guy..." He smirks and adds, wiggling his eyebrows, "Before I start meddling."

"And who do you want to hook him up with ?", the blond inquires.

The meddler beams, "Sanji."

Marco stares, frankly surprised. "Why on Earth ? He's not even gay !"

Vista laughs, "Poor cook doesn't know what's coming at him !"

"Trust me, you don't know him as much as I do", Ace reasons. "I've been suspecting for a while that Sanji is at least bi. I mean, I know he's spending all his time fawning over the ladies but if you look closely, he's been in the big apple for nearly two years now and he hasn't brought a single one of them home yet. Plus, I've seen him looking at men more often than once, and he conceals it as soon as he notices his behavior. I tell you, there's something dubious here, and I wanna help him."

"Help ?", Marco wonders, "Why ?"

"Well, he doesn't seem so fine with solitude and rejection, everyone deserves to be happy, and he really is a good guy. The cook's a friend, even more now that he hangs out with Luffy and the others more often. That's enough of a reason", Ace puffs out his chest.

"Fair enough", Marco laughs, "I still don't imagine him dating a man but I'm willing to make a bet out of it."

"It's settled then", Ace beams, "Oh, and speaking of Luffy, I'm spending the evening with him and Sabo, wanna join us ?"

"No thanks, tonight's bro night I guess. I'm staying with Vista and Blenheim joins us later on."

"Fair enough", Ace laughs in return, and leaves the Newgate brothers to their catching up, strolling towards the bathroom to get ready for the night.

 

The next time Zoro wakes up it's around 5 pm, the burning light from the afternoon is starting to fade and hunger gnaws at his stomach. The feeling forces his one good eye open, he blinks at the hotel room and decides a shower will help clear his mind and set up a plan for the day.

When he's done and casually dressed, too lazy to search for his cellphone in the pile of clothes laying in a corner of the room, he tries to call Izou and Perona with the hotel's phone – the other's phone numbers are too long and Zoro has trouble understanding international prefixes, while the room numbers are way easier to catch on – but none of them answers. Too bad for them, he wants to go out for a walk and if his travel companions aren't here he's not going to deprive himself. He's not a big fan of tourism per se, but it would be a waste not to take in the surroundings at least.

Remembering Izou's words yesterday about not carrying his swords around each and every time here in New-York, he ponders for a brief moment taking them anyway – he feels safer that way – but decides against it, he won't be gone for long so they can stay in his hotel room. He gives his katana a last look as he closes the door, and takes the elevator to reach the lobby downstairs. As soon as the door opens, Zoro spots Perona's unmistakable pink curls at the reception counter, then Izou standing next to her, and walks towards them.

"Oi."

Turning around to face him, Izou recognizes his compatriot and greets him. "Oh Zoro, good to see you. Did you sleep well ?"

"Yeah, I may have overslept a bit but I feel better, thanks."

"No surprise you slept so much", Perona teases him. "I wish I could have done the same, though..."

"Huh ? Couldn't get your beauty sleep ?", Zoro inquires.

The actress complains, "Nah, I forgot to disable my alarms on my phone so I got up quite early in the afternoon."

The swordsman has half a mind to laugh at that, but he remembers that his own alarm wasn't set properly on the day of the departure and he had to rely on Perona's. A single huff escapes him, which he stifles with an awkward cough.

Perona glares at him and resumes the conversation, "Anyway, _we_ were up early so we had some time to wander around and the festival looks awesome, even if it's just the first day !"

"Actually we went to Central Park to check on the open-air market, it seems terrific. It's big and full of animation, we thought it'd be nice to spend some time there", Izo details.

Zoro lifts an eyebrow, "And you didn't ?"

"Nope. Too much people", the young woman grimaces.

Izou smiles, "Actually, since the three of us aren't big fans of over-sized crowds, we thought it'd be nice to go there together tomorrow and take it easy for the night."

Zoro nods in agreement. "So what's the plan then ?"

"Well, after you left yesterday we agreed to make King's Galley our canteen for the week, so I suppose an evening on the other side of the street is in order", the actor states.

"Oh ? Nice. Let's do that then", Zoro beams.

Perona snickers, "Of course you'd be in."

The green-haired man glares at her, "What's that, brat ?"

The actress sports a knowing look. "Nothing. I thought you'd like to go back there is all", she smirks.

Izou chimes in, humming, "I didn't bother asking you if you were okay with our choice, I took the glances you shot at that blonde cook as beforehand agreement."

Perona chuckles and decides to teases her stage partner as well. "Yeah, well, it was more _your_ choice than mine so you should keep your voice down about who's watching who", she winks at him.

The long-haired man blushes just a bit before regaining his composure and simply declares, "You're the one that acted like she was trying to get a date with our waitress. We're even and the discussion is over."

Perona ducks her head under the reprimand but doesn't deny, turning around to face the elevator she states, "Either way it's still too early for dinner so I'll go chill in my room. You can call me when you're ready, I'm not that hungry anyway." And with that she leaves, her pink curls bouncing in her wake.

Izou sweeps imaginary dusts on his kimono's sleeve, watching the young actress make her way to the elevator and her room. "Then I'll go rest as well, shall we meet down here at 8 ? I'll call Perona on my way down."

"Alright. I may go for a walk in the meantime, I spent all the day in my room and it kind of feels like a waste."

"Don't get lost", Izou warns.

Zoro glares at the actor and retorts, "I _don't_ get lost."

Dismissing the answer with a back of his hand, the long-haired man starts walking to the elevator. "Whatever you say, see you later."

Zoro stays standing in the middle of the hall, confused as to why people keep telling him not to get lost, while the city's streets are moving on their own accord. He shakes his head and the feeling away, and heads out to discover the neighborhood. However, just as he passes the hotel's front door, he remembers the talk he had with Marco the night before and the fact that he's supposed to call him. Better now than later, he's already eager to train with someone new.

The swordsman backtracks and heads back to his room, retrieves his cellphone from the pile of clothes it's buried into, and opens his wallet in search for Marco's card. Right, he's a photographer and a history teacher. Interesting combination, he idly thinks while dialing the number.

"Hello ?"

"Uh, hi, I'm Zoro, we met last night at the restaurant and you gave me your card."

"Oh, you're the swordsman ! Great timing, I'm with my brother right now. The swordsman. Uh, the one I told you about yesterday."

Zoro idly wonders how many other brothers Marco has, and how many of them have swords. "Nice, did you have the time to ask him about the dojo already ?"

"Sure thing. He'll go there on Tuesday, I can drive you there in the evening if that's okay for you."

Zoro hears rustling on the other side of the line, before the blond resumes talking.

"Hold on, I put you on speakerphone, my brother wants to talk to you."

"Hey ! I'm Vista. Nice to meet a fellow swordfighter. What style do you train in ?"

The man doesn't sound at all like his brother, much louder and lively, not that Marco is apathetic either. But Zoro think it's funny that siblings can be so unlike each other. "I practice kendo", he states.

"Oh, that's great ! We have some kendo teachers at the dojo so I've had the opportunity to spar once or twice with them but it's always a pleasure to meet someone new." Zoro smiles, he's lucky to have found a sparring partner so soon, a challenge is just what he needed. "I practice mostly Italian-style swordfight but I'm trained in fencing as well, as another of my brothers is a specialist."

"Can I ask a personal question ?", Zoro interrupts.

"Sure, hit me." He can hear the other man smiling.

"How many brothers do you have and are they all swordfighters ?"

Zoro hears both Marco and Vista exploding in laughter, confused as to why his question would be hilarious. Isn't the question considered personal, is it a culture thing ? Or do they just think he's a swords nerd ? He's _not_.

Between laughs, Marco says, "Sorry, we get that question quite a lot." Catching his breath, he explains, "There are fourteen of us, only brothers, and about a half practice swords in a way or another. The rest chose another fighting sports."

Zoro beams at the revelation, "So you're all skilled fighters ? How so ? Does it have to be with your lineage ?"

Vista doubles in laughter, while Marco's smiling voice provides the answer, "We were all adopted, so lineage has little, if nothing to do with it... But Pops always said it'd be nice for us to train in a discipline where we'd learn to fight and defend ourselves. Swords being a high-rate tendency in the family is just a coincidence."

"Wow. That's pretty cool. That's an unusual family, but pretty cool", Zoro awes.

"We wouldn't want it any other way", Vista claims.

"We can talk about that when we go to the dojo if you want, is Tuesday alright for you then ?", Marco asks, getting back to the initial motive of the conversation.

"Oh, sure." Zoro hums thoughtfully, then adds, "We have rehearsals in the afternoon but I'll be available in the evening, I'll send you a text when I know more about the schedule."

"Then it's settled. You tell me when I can come pick you up and I'll drive you downtown."

"Great, see you on Tuesday, then."

Both brothers wish the green-haired swordsman a good evening while he hangs up the phone.

Now that the appointment's made, Zoro feels satisfied and weighs the benefits of a walk against those of a nap. The latter easily wins, so he mutes his cellphone and unplugs the hotel's phone in order not to be disturbed. There should be enough time before dinner...

 

Zoro blinks awake at the sound of insistent knocking on the door. He half-trips over the bed, mentally preparing himself to kill whoever interrupts his nap, and opens the door to reveal a fuming Perona.

The pink-haired actress immediately jumps at his throat, "I knew it ! You were sleeping ! Again !"

"Yeah, so ?", Zoro deadpans.

She frowns at him, mouth turned down in an angry curve. "I've been waiting for _half an hour_ downstairs for you to get there or at least answer your phone ! You even have two of them but both rang for naught !"

"I wanted to sleep is all. I'm awake and we can go now so what's the fuss about ?"

Now she really looks like she wants to kill him. Not that she can anyway. "Izou went to the restaurant 'cause he was tired of waiting for you. I'll join him and you..." She sighs. "You'd get lost if you went there alone so you hurry up a bit and get ready so I can eat, I'm _starving_."

Offended but somewhat hungry, Zoro grumpily complies, gathering his things – forgoing his katanas –, and follows Perona to King's Galley.

The girl from yesterday – Camie, if he recalls correctly – greets them at the entrance, informing them that she'll be their waitress again tonight, and that Izou is already waiting for them. She brings them to their table, which happens to be the same one as well. It kind of feels homey, being treated like regulars.

Dinner goes by simply, Izou and Perona telling Zoro about what they've seen in town, with a certain emphasis on Central Park and the open-air market, but they also mention a few places the locals told them about the night before, among them a plaza with a fountain where they'd gladly go by night.

Their conversation is only interrupted by Sanji perking out of the kitchen a little before dessert, to both inquire about their enjoyment of the meal, and inform them they can have this precise table reserved all week long, should they desire so. As Perona and Izou nod in agreement, Zoro hums his appreciation but doesn't notice Sanji smiling at it.

Staying on their initial idea of taking it easy for the night, the Japanese travelers choose to leave the restaurant directly after dessert, instead of drinking a cocktail or two. They head back to their hotel after paying their count with Camie.

 

Watching the departure from afar, Sanji chuckles at the thought that the stupid swordsman won't get lost on his way back this time, since he's with other people. Thatch catches him red-handed and sends him back to his workstation.

After preparing his last dishes for the evening, cleaning the kitchen and the main room along with the rest of the staff, Sanji wishes Thatch a good night and lets him close the restaurant, he has an after party to attend and he's eager to meet his friends...

The Sous-Chef walks a few blocks in direction of the outskirts of the city, until he reaches a familiar apartment complex. He enters the front building and takes the elevator to the fourth and last floor, then knocks on the door at the end of the corridor, waiting with a large bag in his hands.

A long-nosed freshly graduated architect opens the door, smiling at his friend. "Sanji ! Glad you could come. I'll get you something to drink", he motions to the inside.

The cook steps in. "Thanks, Usopp", he smiles, and swiftly makes his way to the kitchen before anyone else spots him. Once there, he unpacks the dumplings and fruit salad he quickly made with the leftovers at the restaurant before leaving – he'd never allow himself to waste food. He disposes them on a few plates and, aligning them on a tray, puts on his trademark smile before entering the main room, "Here comes the refill !"

Barely taking the time to greet the newcomer, everyone in the room dives in – they already know the food will be awesome.

"Sanji, thank you ! But you shouldn't overwork just for us", kindly informs Kaya, Usopp's girlfriend. "How was your week by the way ?"

The cook smiles, "Thanks for asking, sweet Kaya. It was pretty exhausting, but great, as always. Oh, and just yesterday I met three people from the upcoming festival, there was this actress and-" Sanji interrupts himself, mentally berating himself for monopolizing the conversation in the presence of ladies." But, um... Never mind, how was yo-"

This time he's stopped mid-sentence by a ginger, "Stop worrying about us, we talked about our own weeks for long enough before you came. Tell us about yours for once..."

"What kind of man would I be if I did not answer your requests, dear Nami ?" Sanji sighs in delight, oblivious to the young woman's eye-roll. He clears his throat and details, "Well, as I was saying there were Japanese people at the restaurant the other night, and among them the actress from the Ghost Princess movie."

Usopp perks in, "Wow, you met Perona ? She's deadly scary in that movie, I wonder what she's like in person."

"Well, she's a lady, so she's perfect anyway-"

Nami sighs, "Of course you had to say that." Then she hums thoughtfully and asks, "Any other interesting people ?"

Sanji thinks for a while, clearly remembering the three unusual customers and the way dinner went the first time they came to King's Galley. No need to talk about the Neanderthal – who would be interested about a mosshead ? – but he can still mention the actor that was with the previous two. "Mmm, right, Perona is going to be the second role in the play, I also met the first role."

"You've met a celebrity !", exclaims a brown-haired teen behind a full plate of dumplings.

"Technically Perona is more famous overseas but yeah, apparently Izou, the actor, is pretty known in Japan and it's a rare occasion to have him here."

But Nami's curiosity still isn't satisfied. "You said there were three people... who was the last one, Sanji~ ?"

The cook winces at his name. He really can't resist Nami's insistence and grumbles, "Fine." He huffs. "He's just a brute anyway, who cares."

"I do", the ginger beams.

Usopp lifts an eyebrow, "Could you define _brute_ ? You're not exactly an altar boy either."

"Thanks for the reminder, Usopp, but I would never try and hit a woman, for starters, which is what he did."

Everybody nods and Nami comments, "Real brave."

"I stopped him ! I would never let someone hurt a woman", Sanji affirms.

Usopp lifts a finger, requesting attention, and starts rambling, "Just like the time I fought kidnappers to get back my neighbor's daughter..."

Kaya and the brown-haired teen look at the young architect starry-eyed while he's unveiling one of his many fictitious stories.

Sanji points at the teen and whispers to Nami, "Chopper believes him ?"

"Yeah, he's really impressionable. It surprises me for a kid that smart, did Kaya tell you he'll be starting his medicine internship next year ? He's just a year behind her even though he's way younger."

"Wow, that's something."

Kaya laughs at a twist in her boyfriend's story, and Nami decides she's had enough of Usopp's lies for tonight. She pointedly looks at the young architect while she speaks aloud, "So... Sanji was telling us about his week."

Usopp clears his throat, "R-right, sorry."

Sanji shrugs, "Don't have much more to say, anyway. Perona and Izou will be playing in the upcoming play and I guess that's it."

Chopper pipes in, "I've never been to the theater..."

"Then why don't we all go together ?" Kaya proposes.

Nami hums. "Why not. I think Robin works for the festival, maybe she can get us free tickets ? I'll message her."

"The premiere is on Wednesday and they play until Sunday", Sanji says. "I'll be working during the week but maybe I'll go to the finale."

"Then we'll go before and we'll tell you if it was cool", Usopp winks.

The cook suddenly remembers, "Oh, and until then there's an open-air market in Central Park, I heard it's really great."

The young prodigy wonders aloud, "Do they have cotton-candy ?"

Sanji smiles, "That and _many_ other things : food, attractions, music, workshops, everything. Seriously, I haven't been there yet but I've heard so much from the customers at the restaurant that I really wanna take a look."

Usopp beams, "I've always wanted to see a real samurai !"

Nami rolls her eyes, "You'll probably just see armors and weapons...", but she's promptly ignored.

"Any hopes there will be ninjas ?", Chopper asks starry-eyed.

Usopp puffs out his chest and proudly announces, "Most certainly the best !"

Kaya hums, "I wonder if I could find a kimono out there..."

Nami grabs her by the arm. "Then I'll go with you ! Two beautiful faces such as ours are bound to have a nice discount." And she sticks her tongue out playfully.

Sanji contentedly sighs. "So that's settled, we're going there tomorrow. It'll be nice to have everyon- Oh, we should call the rest of the crew and see what they're up to." Sanji smiles at the use of the word _crew_ , he can't remember who nailed it first but the expression stayed and he likes to think of them as a bunch of lively pirates when he calls them that way – after all, he works in a _galley_.

"Maybe it's a bit late for phone calls", reasons Kaya. "I'll text them instead."

"Good idea. Since I wanted to ask Robin about the tickets for the play I'll kill two birds with one stone, you take care of the rest. Don't forget to tell Luffy there will be food", Nami reminds.

Usopp's girlfriend nods. "Franky will know along with Robin, I trust you to bring Vivi tomorrow-"

Nami giggles, "Obviously."

"-I'm telling Luffy about the food and that leaves... Law ?"

Sanji perks in, "I'll take this one, best friend duty, even though I'm pretty sure Luffy will call him anyway."

Usopp starts clearing the table from the now empty plates and declares, "Alright ! Now that tomorrow's decided, why don't we move to my moment of glory in this chill night ?"

Nami lifts an eyebrow, "And what would that be ?"

"I'm beating you all up at Mario Kart !"

There is arguing about who the best really is and Chopper reasons that they should compete for real instead of taking bets – looking at you, Nami –, so they install themselves in the cosy sofa and around, taking turns for the tournament while the one that doesn't play is a makeshift referee.

They dispatch after one too many of Usopp's victories – yup, he really is _that_ good at Mario Kart – and bid each other goodnight, eagerly waiting to meet again tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Next time, the open-air market !_


	3. The open-air market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _First things first, sorry about taking so long to update but life has been hectic for both of us. This story is still alive though and we’re back with a new chapter ! We hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it :3_
> 
> _Everything we know about swords, go and other disciplines, come from Wikipedia._
> 
> _Everything we know about legends and folklore come from a series of books called « Contes et Légendes » (Tales and Legends) and the internet - with a twist, sometimes._
> 
> _Everything we know from southern french cuisine comes from our own experience :p_
> 
> _Apologies in advance if something isn’t accurate ! But please, don’t hesitate to correct us in the comments._
> 
> _That said, a bit of filler data for what happened between the two chapters..._
> 
> Last night Ace was still with Sabo and Luffy when the latter received the SMS from Kaya telling them the crew was planning to go to the open-air market the day after. He noted Sanji would be among them and decided it would be a good place to start meddling.
> 
> When he came back home he told Marco about his findings and they decided to join the group in Central Park mid-afternoon (Ace always oversleeps on Sundays).
> 
> Marco texted Thatch during the night saying they would be at the open-air market, inviting him to come along.

"So, about the open-air market", Perona inquires at breakfast, "I thought it’d be nice to go there early since we’re all a bit agoraphobic..."

"That’s a good idea", Izou agrees, "That way when we’re tired of the crowd we can just come back here and relax. What do you say ?" He turns to his other compatriot.

"I’m fine with that", Zoro simply says.

The three foreigners finish eating their breakfast and are soon on their way to Central Park.

Perona gently nudges Zoro in the ribs. "Look, look, I told you there were going to be lots of people."

The swordsman shrugs. "Nobody works on Sundays, it was bound to happen."

Izou perks in, "Then we should hurry and see what the market is like before it’s overcrowded."

"I’m sure I can find nice clothes somewhere", the actress muses.

"One of the kabuki theaters I worked for has a stand here, I’ll go say hi."

"I’m gonna see if there are ninjas", Zoro concludes.

"Don’t get lost", Perona reminds him.

 

* * *

 

A few members of the crew meet a little before noon at one of the entrances to Central Park. Usopp and Kaya were the first at the doors and welcomed Nami and Vivi on their arrival, shortly followed by an overly enthusiastic Chopper.

"What do we do ? Looks like there is so much to see…" the brown-haired boy asks.

Usopp says, "We totally need to find samurais."

"Oh my god yes. And ninjas too", Chopper excitedly answers.

And just with that the two boys are gone, leaving the girls to their exploration.

"Shall we wait for the others ?" Kaya wonders.

"Nah, cellphones are made for situations like this", Nami chimes in, before grabbing her two companions by the arm and adding, "Look, we have to find kimonos and I won’t wait until all the good articles are gone. Now’s the perfect time, and since the boys left us we’ll be able to have a nice discount !"

"Always thinking about money", Vivi teases.

"Honey, all our savings are bound to be spent in a trip together, every penny counts", her girlfriend smiles.

Walking towards the open-air market, Kaya motions at her friends to follow her. "Then let’s go !"

The three girls step inside the large event, opening wide and curious eyes at the marvels displayed here and there.

Vivi and Kaya awe at the traditional floral compositions, discover it’s called "ikebana" and put both their addresses on a mailing-list for tutorials and workshops.

Nami quickly roams the clothing stands, examining every price tag, and finally settles on a shop she deems reasonable.

The tenant greets her warmly, "Welcome, young woman. Please, take your time and ask me any question you have. All our articles are fine quality and hand-made."

"Thanks, I’ll get my friends and we’ll take a look", the redhead smiles at her.

Back from the ikebana stand, Vivi waves at Nami, Kaya in tow. "Hey, you found kimonos !"

"And they’re so pretty ! Look at the colors, the patterns !" Kaya awes.

"I’m sure we can get something nice for each of us here", Nami assures.

"I’ll take something for Usopp too", the architect’s girlfriend adds shyly.

Vivi laughs brightly.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Usopp and Chopper find a stand with samurai armors, marvel at them before realizing they’re just props for theater and not even the real thing. Not to mention no one is using them, even for a simple demo.

Usopp curses under his breath. "Damn you Nami..."

"Hey, Usopp, look there, katanas !"

The architect’s grudge is soon forgotten in favor or awing at the blades displayed.

A text from Nami disturbs the boys’ admiration.

 **Robin** **&** **Franky are** **here, meet @ the Pond**

Chopper exclaims, "Finally ! Let’s go meet everyone !"

"Let’s go !"

 

* * *

 

A group of three plus a dog enters a Virtual Reality demo stand. Their close friends call them the Heart Surgeons – that really is their profession, they did their internship together and have been sharing a flat to this day – and the Samoyed dog is called Bepo.

The tallest one happens to be Sanji’s best friend, Law, and asks one of his friends, "Shachi, could you watch Bepo for me a minute ? I _have_ to try that zombie game."

"Okay but I’m next. Penguin, you’ll-"

"I get it, I’m last."

Taking turns to play, the three men barely notice the crowd forming around them, as they’re playing pretty well.

As Penguin’s turn is up, Law grabs back Bepo’s leash and watches around him. He squints at someone furtive he swears he saw just a minute ago. Then it happens again, the person is back somewhere else around the crowd but just as stealthily as before… Then something clicks and Law runs outside the VR stand to watch the ninja demo.

Bepo seems unimpressed.

Shachi and Penguin join them shortly after, wondering if ninjas really are as cool as they are in books or movies.

Law idly notes a green-haired guy in the crowd that looks equally thrilled as he is. He doesn’t focus on it for too long, though, because he receives a text from Luffy.

**cant find the food im bored where r u :(**

Law smiles and calls his boyfriend to decide on a place to meet up.

 

* * *

 

The Heart Surgeons join the crew near the Pond. The crew plus a few little additions : Sabo’s here, he was there yesterday when Luffy received the text from Kaya and decided to tag along with his girlfriend Koala.

Law and Sanji warmly greet each other.

"Sanji~  Give me my boyfriend back !" Luffy interrupts them.

"He was my best friend first, take a ticket..." Sanji draws out his tongue.

Chopper meets Bepo for the first time and really likes him. "Your fur is so soft ! Hehehe, stop licking my face !"

Law smiles at the teenager, then turns to Kaya when she speaks to him.

"Law, I want you to meet Chopper. He’s only 19 but he’s already in third year ! He’ll be starting his internship next year."

Law lifts his eyebrows. "You mean he’s a future doctor ? Amazing."

Chopper protests, "That does not make me happy at all, bastard", all the while making a little happy dance.

Not so far from the group of – graduated and future – doctors, Nami inquires, "What about the play ? I was wondering if you could have free tickets since you’re working for the festival..."

Her friend smoothly answers, "Free isn’t an option. But I _do_ have reductions", she winks.

"Robin, you’re the best !" Nami hugs her with glee.

"She’s SUUUPER !" Robin’s husband exclaims next to them, giving them the thumbs up.

 

* * *

 

Zoro’s enjoying the ninja demo when his phone rings in the crowd. It’s a text from Perona :

**I met Izou and we’re starting to get hungry, meet us near the food stands**

He grunts in annoyance, but the growl from his stomach reminds him it’s not a bad idea after all.

 

* * *

 

The Heart Surgeons, the crew and their friends discover the next stands together : Go tournaments, manga and origami workshops, clothes shops ranging from traditional wear to Shibuya and Karajuku-style, and finally food.

Chopper discovers mochi and takes a particular liking to mizu mochi. "It’s so sweet and it melts in your mouth !"

The rest of the crew and the Heart Surgeons stroll down the alleys to find other kinds of food. They stop in front of a takoyaki stand where the guy works so fast he looks like he has six arms.

The tenant speaks to the audience as he works, never interrupting the making of the fresh smelling octopus fritters. "Hachi’s takoyaki, one dollar each ! One ! Hachi’s takoyaki, the best there are !"

Luffy and Sabo instantly engage in an eating contest.

Ace and Marco join the crew and their additions in front of Hachi’s stand, having received a text from Nami informing them of their whereabouts – Ace tried to call Luffy but too many takoyaki forbid him to answer.

After saying hi to everyone, Ace walks to Nami, a smirk plastered on his freckled face. "Hey there. So... you were with Sanji and the rest last night ? Did he tell you about the Japanese customers he met lately ?"

"Not really. Well, there are two actors and a brute apparently..."

"A brute ? Nope, just a hot guy." Ace’s smirk intensifies.

Marco glares at him from afar.

Nami dismisses the remark with a wave of her hand. "Not my thing, but okay. Sanji said he was about to hit a girl or something."

Ace lifts an eyebrow. "She was a bitch. A haughty bitch. The guy was pretty decent. His name is Zoro by the way."

Nami squints. "How do you know about him ?"

"Well, for starters, I was there that night. Then... we talked on the phone yesterday and we plan on going to the dojo on Tuesday."

Nami sounds very interested in her findings when she speaks next, "Why would Sanji lie about him then ?"

"Because he finds him hot", Ace deadpans.

Nami gapes a little. "You’re kidding me", she snorts after a short while.

"No, seriously, I bet if I help them just a little they’ll be humping like rabbits real soon."

Nami hums. "No way you can turn Sanji gay… _That’s_ a bet I’m willing to take !"

Ace beams. "Alright, you’ll owe me dinner ! I swear-» His sentence is interrupted by a narcolepsy attack in the middle of Hachi’s takoyaki’s stand. He falls asleep _standing_.

Some people around start to panic, including the owner.

Marco quietly laughs at Ace’s demise.

The rest of the crew is unimpressed – because pretty used to those –, and keeps on talking.

As someone calls for a doctor, Law, Shachi and Penguin hide themselves under their respective hats.

A little crowd gathers at the commotion, among which Zoro, Izou and Perona who perk in, concerned.

"Is he okay ?" Perona asks, mildly worried.

"Oh, hey there." Marco reassures them, "It’s alright, he just has those weird narcolepsy attacks from time to time but I can tell you he’s going to be just fine when he comes to."

Just on cue, Ace suddenly wakes up, lifts his head and resumes his previous sentence "-I’ll do my best and Sanji’s gonna get fucked by the end of the week !"

Everybody around watches wide-eyed, including Sanji who quickly becomes beet red.

Nami chuckles at seeing the cook’s state, and decides there and then that she’s going to help Ace meddle.

"What ?" Ace watches around him. "Why are there so many people now ? Did something happen ?"

Marco sighs. " _You_ happened."

"Oh, it’s you guys !" Ace exclaims at the three newcomers. "It’s good to see you here."

Izou quirks up an eyebrow. "Weren’t you sleeping just a moment ago ?"

"Maybe."

"That’s a weird condition you have here."

Ace sticks his tongue out.

Izou chuckles.

Zoro and Perona frankly laugh, along with the crew.

As the crowd slowly disperses, the laughing fit is interrupted by a loud "Buuurp" emitted by none other than Luffy. "Phew, I’m full", he declares with a wide smile.

"No fair, you have a black hole for a stomach", Sabo complains.

Close by, Koala berates him, "Then why do you keep getting involved in such contests if you know you’re going to lose ?"

"Because it’s so good !" Sabo exclaims with stars in his eyes.

"Thank you", Hachi says from behind his counter, never stopping the making of the delicious takoyaki. "That’ll be 127 dollars in total."

Luffy and Sabo both look at each other, then at Ace, who silently nods a _no_ , and realize there is way too much people around to try to dine-and-dash.

Sabo sighs. "Let me get my credit card."

As the blond pays for his and Luffy’s eating fit, the raven-haired glutton meets the foreigners. "Oi, who are you three ?", he launches at their attention.

"I’m Zoro", the swordsman answers.

"Perona", the young woman says, offering a handshake.

"Izou", the last one bows.

Luffy blinks at them, then laughs, "Shishishi ! Your names are funny ! I like you !" His eyes drift to his dark-haired brother and he exclaims, "Ace !", running towards the freckled man to jump at his neck for a hug.

Ace ruffles his brother’s hair with a smile. "Oi, oi, Luffy, we saw each other yesterday, would you calm down ?"

"But you’re late !"

"We’re Sunday. Sundays are made for oversleeping", the older brother retorts.

Not too far, Sanji recovers from his blush and Nami starts questioning him, "Say, Sanji… why are you all red?"

"I only blush for women", the cook retorts, snapping his head to the far side.

"But there’s none here that could have put you in such a state…", the redhead wisely says. "Unless you’re hiding something ?"

"N-not at all, why would I hide anything to such a beauty as yours, Nami-swan ?"

Nami huffs. "By the way, Robin told me she could have a nice discount for the play tickets. Would you be interested ?"

"I can only go there on Sunday when King’s Galley is closed", the Sous-Chef explains.

"That doesn’t mean you’re not interested", she winks.

Sanji rolls his eyes. "Alright, alright, I’ll go and see what the fuss is about."

Izou perks in, "It’s a classical kabuki play, about a samurai that falls in love with a geisha-aah…" The actor is caught off guard when Thatch comes into view. He will _not_ be caught drooling, but still, the Chef’s freaking hot. The man is wearing dark brown pants, a dark blue shirt under a brown vest that compliments his eyes. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbow, revealing strong arms and hands, and the actor wonders how it’s be like to be held in those... Izou almost audibly swallows.

Marco sees Izou staring, smirks and launches at his brother, "I thought you were more of a casual Sunday ? You’re all dressed up..."

The Pompadoured man sheepishly scratches the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. "But we’re at a festival and everyone’s well dressed..."

And the truth is, a few people among the crew and their additions did make an effort today. That doesn’t stop Marco from teasing his lil’ bro. "You couldn’t have known that before you arrived. Trying to impress someone, maybe ?"

The Chef keeps a poker face as he answers, "Not at all, but you never know what can happen."

The rest of the crew and Heart Surgeons signal they still need to eat and Sanji asks Izou, "Do you know where we could eat something good and healthy ? You’re kind of a specialist when it comes to your country’s cuisine."

The actor smiles. "Well, I haven’t tried the stands here yet but if you’re looking for something wholesome, I recommend ramen : it’s a complete meal with noodles, meat, eggs, vegetables and a hint of spices, I’m sure you can find some to your taste here."

Perona hums. "I’d go for a bowl of ramen too."

"I’m hungry", Zoro simply says.

As a consensus is found on where to eat, the now pretty large group wanders in the nearby alleys, settling on a traditional-looking booth where the whole of them barely fit. They eat together and after a bit of small talk, decide to split for the rest of the afternoon.

 

* * *

 

Leaving the ramen stand first, Zoro and Law go to a swords stand, Luffy in tow.

Plenty of katanas are displayed and some are on sale, Law seems very interested by one of them.

Zoro explains, "This type of sword is called oudachi or nodachi. It’s a samurai’s longsword."

Law smirks, "Actually, I own one of those."

Zoro lifts an eyebrow. "Is that so ? Do you know some of them are supposedly legendary swords from mythology ?"

"For real ? Tell me about it ?"

While the two swords nerds exchange about their common passion, Luffy starts looking around. He finds a short wakizashi on display – not on sale – and toys with it, admiring it at first then trying to unsheathe it. He finally does so and throws the scabbard away carelessly.

A young woman pipes in uninvited, lecturing Luffy. "You, there, stop treating a named blade like that ! There are only three in the world like this one, I’ve waited such a long time to see it !" She retrieves the scabbard and cradles it lovingly. "I thought I’d have to travel to Japan and you almost ruined this !"

Zoro and Law assess the woman, neither tall nor petite, black hair in a messy bun from which a few strands are falling, glasses perched on her nose, wearing a floral button-down shirt and jeans with plain boots. She doesn’t look like the swords geek they were expecting, and they’re impressed by the girl’s knowledge.

Luffy shrugs, "Not my fault this... thingy... isn’t convenient."

"It’s called a scabbard you clueless brute !"

Law steps forward, protectively holding a hand out in front of Luffy. "Excuse him, he’s just very curious", he explains, "I’ll keep an eye on him from now on."

Luffy crosses his arms and pouts.

Zoro snickers. Those two form the most mismatched couple he’s ever seen.

 

* * *

 

Following the movement of the three previous people to leave the ramen stand, Robin decides to check on the ikebana stands. "I’ll get some ideas there for flower compositions to come", she says with a grin on her face.

Kaya chimes in, "Oh, and you can register for their mailing-list too. The people are very nice there, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it."

"Then off I go", Robin waves a hand at the group, "See you later !"

Franky checks at a plan of the open-air market he conveniently took at the entrance of the park, peruses through it and finds something of interest. "SUUUPER ! They have robots and Artificial Intelligence demonstrations ! You know where to find me !" And with that he promptly leaves.

Usopp turns to his girlfriend and offers, "Why don’t we check the VFX stands ? I wonder how they make zombies and monsters so realistic in movies..."

Chopper opens wide-eyes, "You mean they’re not real ?"

Kaya quietly laughs.

Perona invites herself in the conversation, "I could tell you how it’s done, I mean, I’ve been through _that_ kind of makeup as well."

Usopp facepalms, "Of course, you’re the Ghost Princess after all. Wanna come along with us ? I’m a fan of the movie by the way."

"Sure", the actress says, and follows the trio towards the VFX demo.

Along the way, Usopp asks her about the roles she played, the costumes, the makeup, and everything needed to create a proper fantasy creature. At some point their conversation drift to their respective folklores, and they find themselves exchanging about legends from their homelands.

"See, my mother is white while my father is an afro-american, so I’ve heard old tales from Africa that’ll frighten you to the bone..."

Perona retorts, "You’ve never heard about Japanese youkai then, those are downright scary."

Chopper seems more than interested in their sayings. "Say, say, tell me more, I want to hear those stories !"

Perona starts, "There are several types of youkai. Some are pretty inoffensive, like most bake-neko. If you’ve seen Ghibli’s _Neko no Ongaeshi_ you’ll see what I’m talking about."

"You mean _The Cat Returns_?" Usopp asks with a smile. "Of course, I’ve seen it countless times with Kaya. She thinks some other Ghibli movies are downright creepy, or too bloody like _Mononoke Hime_."

"That’s because most of them feature youkai or spirits from our folklore. In _Sen to Chihiro_ -"

" _Spirited Away_  ?" Usopp interrupts.

"Yeah, what’s with you people and changing every foreign name, every title you encounter ? Anyway… in _Sen to Chihiro_ _no kamikakushi_ there is an example of faceless youkai but there are several other types of faceless monsters. Nuppeppou for example have a flabby appearance, like a semi-humanoid chunk of fat with barely discernible traits, and they have a disgusting body odor."

"Ew, gross", the medicine student makes a face.

"And what do they do ?" Usopp asks.

"Well… they go around looking and smelling bad, and scaring people, I don’t know, I’ve never even met one."

"That’s not very scary, that’s just gross", the long-nosed architect comments.

"Then you’ve probably already heard of Oni, those ugly ogres with horns and fangs and terrible hair, some of them are pictured in anime or video games."

"I think I know what you’re talking about"

"Well, those are supposedly demonic reincarnations of wickedly evil people", Perona continues. "Their job is to exert horrible punishments such as peeling off skin, crushing bones and other things too horrible to describe to bad people."

Chopper shivers. "Boo, that’s awful."

The actress retorts, "Don’t be a bad kid and they won’t come after you-"

Usopp cuts her, "Hey, stop scaring him !"

"What happened to _your_ scary stories then ?" Perona lifts an eyebrow.

"Ahah, at last ! Let me count you the story of Awoti, then." Usopp pauses, making sure he has his audience’s attention. "It all begins in an African city controlled by an ancient marabout cult. The sect there controls the citizens’ every move, and turn them into zombies with their voodoo magic in order to maintain their power."

Chopper perks in, concerned. "Zombies ? I really don’t like those..."

Usopp winks. "Wait, my young friend, because their demise is near. One fateful day, a poor man named Awoti finds a needle on the ground. He takes it home, and claims to his family he’s going to be king thanks to it. His parents and siblings laugh at him, thinking it’s just a joke and he’ll never achieve such a feat."

"Of course he won’t, why would he say such a thing ?" Perona asks.

"Wait for it ! The day after, Awoti meets a lady who needs a needle, and gives her his own, in exchange for a chicken. When he comes back home he claims to his family he’s going to be king thanks to it. Everyone laughs at him once more. The day after, Awoti walks into the desert and meets someone rich but who’s been starving for days, and gives him his chicken in exchange for a horse. When he comes back home he still claims to his family he’s going to be king, but this time people start to believe him. "Finally, you’ve done something good", his mother says."

Perona frowns, "What about the zombies then ?"

"I’m getting to it. Each day that passes Awoti gives what he got the day before in exchange for something else, and so on and so forth until he meets a mysterious old man, who exchanges whatever Awoti carries that day against a shovel. The old man turns out to be a marabout and spends the rest of the day with Awoti, explaining him how his magic works in return for helping him. The old man describes how lives can be turned around with some plants and just a bit of hypnosis, and how to free people from certain curses : according to him, a large amount of salt could counter the effects of herbs found in this region. That said, the mysterious old man disappears into the forest. When Awoti comes back home, his family thinks he’s made a really bad deal since all he’s left with is a shovel even though a few days ago he had a horse."

"Poor Awoti..." Chopper compassionately says.

"The day after, Awoti walks to the great lake near the village and starts digging a trench with his shovel. He works hard all day and digs enough for the water to flood the village. The thing is, the lake Awoti diverts the water from is a _salt lake_ , and the zombies are then freed from their curse and return to normal. Free at last, the people rebel against their marabout oppressors, kill them and name their savior as King."

"So he really did become king in the end ?" Chopper asks with stars in his eyes.

"Yup, he did, and now his family believes him no matter how unreal his stories or predictions seem, because they all turn true by the end of the day."

"I don’t see how this story is supposed to be scarier than mine..." Perona comments.

"Because ZOMBIES ! The marabout cult that oppressed the city poisoned people with plants, then took back their bodies from the grave and gave them medicinal plants to revive their bodies and make them obedient. Isn’t that bad enough ?"

"True, true. Salt as a remedy seems a little far-fetched but why not..."

"The thing I like the most with that story is that Awoti started with a needle and became king, goes to show that anyone can be anything as long as they make the right choices."

"And meet the right people, if not for the mysterious old man Awoti would never have known about the salt", Chopper adds.

"Alright, I admit it, it was a nice tale. You’re a good storyteller, too", Perona says.

Usopp scratches the back of his head, fingers tangling in his pony-tailed afro. "I’ve always loved tales and legends. Care to tell me more about yours ?"

Perona smiles. "Then let me tell you the tale of Izanami and Izanagi..."

 

* * *

 

Izou feels a little left alone now that Zoro and Perona are gone. He doesn’t want to go back to the hotel now though, so instead he offers, "Who would be up for a game of Go ?"

Shachi and Penguin look at each other. The latter says, "I don’t know how to play Go", and the former, "Me neither, but I like games."

"I can teach you if you’re curious."

"Good idea !" the two surgeons exclaim in unison before following the older man to the nearest Go board – which they soon learn is called a goban.

Izou explains the rules as simply as he can : "Those round playing pieces are called stones. We’ll be placing them on points of the goban : points are the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines. You may place your stone on any point on the goban, but if I surround that stone, I may remove it. I’ll explain certain specific situations further into the game so it’s easier for you to understand how it works."

"Neat !" Shachi plays first, concentrating on the game. It’s easier than it seems for the first few moves but then it quickly becomes a hard strategy game. So many zones on the board you have to keep in check, it’s "advance and conquer" more often than not, an intense game of war, but played peacefully around a wooden table. Very interesting.

 

* * *

 

Koala offers, "Who’d be up for Dance Dance Revolution ?"

Vivi makes a face. "Not right after eating, no thanks."

Sabo pats his belly, "I don’t care, I’ll go."

Koala huffs a laugh. "Of course you would… I’d try my hand at calligraphy too if you’re okay with it."

"Didn’t know they have those here, of course, I want to try too !"

Comparing their estimated skills along the way, the bickering couple is gone.

 

* * *

 

The remaining people are finishing their meals when Ace tells Sanji, "I thought I saw Zoro earlier, why didn’t you go along with him and Law ? He’s your best friend after all..."

The Sous-Chef retorts, "I don’t care, he’s hanging out with a brute."

Thatch has a lopsided smile as he says, "He’s not a brute, and if I recall correctly, I had to get you back to work while you were ogling him the first time he came to the restaurant."

Nami chuckles. "Is that true, Sanji ?"

"I was just checking in case he decided to bother another lady", Sanji explains defensively.

"It hadn’t even happened yet", Thatch laughs.

Nami and Ace exchange a knowing look.

Marco perks in, "He’s not the only one watching..."

The Chef asks, "What do you mean ?"

"You should keep your eyes peeled, yoi, especially when people are interested in _you."_

"Who dat ?" Ace asks.

"You’re too curious."

"Tell me~", he whines.

Marco leans towards Ace to whisper in his ear. "Izou", he simply says.

Ace opens wide eyes and beams the moment just after, snickering.

"You’re a _terrible_ wingman. Telling your boyfriend and not your own brother is awful", Thatch pouts, but decides to be more attentive from now on.

Nami thinks there’s another couple in the makings, and can’t help but wonder if she’ll have free meals at King’s Galley if she can play the matchmaker for the owner.

Vivi pipes in, "Isn’t that exciting? Knowing someone is interested in you..."

"T’would be better if I knew _who_ , but I won’t because I have a lame brother", Thatch complains.

Sanji reminisces the moment when Izou’s speech derailed just earlier and chimes in, "Hey, I think I know who it is."

"Great ! Now tell me, tell me !"

The younger cook hums thoughtfully. "Dunno. What do I get in this ?"

"You’re the absolute _worst_ ", Thatch spits and crosses his arms, huffing.

"But then again, at least you know about it, and if someone else than you saw them there’s no reason for you not to", Vivi says, offering a gentle smile.

"Thanks, Vivi, you’re really the kindest." Thatch glares at Marco. "Anyway, Sanji, you’ll owe me a night at the restaurant since you’ve tried to blackmail me", he says playfully.

"No fair !"

"It is, actually", the Chef laughs.

"Don’t count on me then", Sanji pokes his tongue out at his boss.

Everyone joins in the laughter.

Sanji slides next to Ace and whispers to him, "What was that earlier in the takoyaki stand ?"

Ace smiles at the cook. "Heh, figured you’d ask. I wasn’t talking about me if that’s what’s bugging you."

The blond cringes. "Of course you weren’t. Is there one of your friends you want to hook me up with ? I know you tend to play the matchmaker..."

"Not exactly", Ace answers evasively. "An acquaintance of mine, more or less."

Sanji raises a quizzical eyebrow. "That seems dubious to say the least."

"Trust me !" The freckled man says, cheerfully patting the cook on the back.

 

* * *

 

When evening comes everyone meets again at another entrance to Central Park. They chat about their findings with stars in their eyes and eagerness to see what else the festival has to offer.

Izou addresses the whole group, "Do you know a good place to eat tonight ? Since King’s Galley is closed we’re pretty lost", he slides a side glance at Thatch.

Having arrived in the big apple a few years back, Sanji knows all the good French restaurants and says, "I recommend _Le Vent d’Autan_ , it’s a nice place in Manhattan, pretty cheap considering the quality, and they serve southern french cuisine."

Luffy seems very interested.

Izou nods. "Good idea. But you have to give us the directions, we can’t get them via mobile network since our phones don’t fully work here."

Sanji hums. "You know what, it’s not too far from here, I can get you there, who’s in ?"

"I am !", Luffy exclaims.

Law sighs and shakes his head, having anticipated his walking stomach of a boyfriend’s answer.

Thatch follows, thinking it’ll be nice for once to eat outside.

The rest of the people get back to their respective homes after wishing everyone a good evening.

The three foreigners along with Law, Luffy, and the two cooks take the subway towards their next destination.

 

* * *

 

Zoro, Izou and Perona discover with delight that _Le Vent d’Autan_ is a small restaurant – no need to put themselves in the middle of a crowd once again – and happily place themselves at the circular table the waiter indicates them. The rest of the group shortly follow them. They sit so Perona is between Izou and Zoro, facing the the two cooks, Law and Luffy.

Sanji speaks aloud, "If there are any dishes you don’t know of, please don’t hesitate in telling me, I’ll explain them the best I can." He peruses the menu and comments, "For starters, I recommend the homemade duck _foie gras_ , theirs is top notch."

Zoro deadpans, "It’s just duck."

The Sous-Chef lectures him, "Of course an uncultured swine such as you would say that." He ignores the swordsman’s scowl and continues, "It requires extreme precision for the cooking, and it’s served with delicate sides such as fig chutney or candied onions. It’s traditionally meant for great occasions such as Christmas or-" He huffs. "But _you_ wouldn’t know that."

Zoro shrugs dismissively and tries to decipher his own menu.

Izou looks quizzically at the many dishes presented, then turns to Thatch. "My apologies, I know how to read your alphabet alright but I don’t know any French. What would you suggest for me to order ?"

The Chef has a soft smile. "Oh, of course. Let me see… I can vouch for the _magret_ , it’s grilled breast of duck, simple yet delicate."

"Sounds perfect", Izou grins and decides he’ll take just that.

Perona asks Sanji, "Could you help me ? I’d like some fish but I can’t understand a word of what’s written here."

The Sous-Chef quickly browses the menu and finds the desired entry. "There, they have a lovely _bouillabaisse_. It’s a complicated fish soup with at least five different types of fish, cooked together with tomatoes, herbs and saffron, and served with potatoes. Recipes for this dish are usually family secrets."

"Wow, you really are knowledgable when it comes to French cuisine", the actress awes.

"Shishishi, that’s because he _is_ French !" Luffy chuckles from behind his own menu.

Zoro quirks up an eyebrow but doesn’t comment.

Law shakes his head. "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

"Anyway, I think it’ll be just fine", Perona concludes.

Zoro closes his menu and declares "I’ll have the steak and fries."

Sanji facepalms. "Geez, I had a hint you were a tasteless brute but this ? Ordering steak and fries ? _Seriously ?_ "

"It’s the only meal I know of."

"As I said, I can help you choose if that’s a problem."

"What will you have then ?"

"I’ll take the _brandade de morue_. It’s cod fish mixed with potatoes and garlic, seasoned with oliv oil-"

"Okay, okay, I get it, you’re a picky princess", Zoro interrupts him, smirking.

Sanji’s about to jab back when the waiter comes into view.

The table of seven place their orders, then get back to some small talk while they wait for their dishes.

As announced, the _foie gras_ is exquisite and even Zoro lets out a satisfied sigh when his plate is empty.

Sanji smirks. "Just duck, huh ?"

Zoro glares at him. "So what."

"So it’s delicious and I was right", the cook beams.

The swordsman rolls his eyes in what he hopes is a convincing attempt to mock Sanji. In reality he does it more to avert his eyes from the sunny view. _That smile..._

As the waiter comes to retrieve their now empty plates, Luffy starts pigging out on the complimentary bread, waiting eagerly for the next dish.

"Ew, gross", Law briefly comments.

The main dishes arrive and Zoro notices something weird with his fries, they don’t smell like usual. He grabs one with his fingers, brings it up to his nose to smell it more closely.

"Zoro, cutlery", Izou quietly reprimands, frowning in disgust.

"Are you for real ?" Sanji asks, baffled.

"What ? They smell weird." Zoro deadpans.

Thatch provides, "That’s because they’re cooked in duck fat. Fries are both tastier and healthier that way."

Zoro shrugs and tries the fries. They’re different, crispier and definitely tastier. Not that he’ll say it out loud, the blond cook would be too happy with it. "S’okay", he says after swallowing.

Sanji huffs but then turns to the doctor. "Say, Law, how’s the _croustade_?"

"Excellent, thanks for the advice."

"And Luffy, the _aligot_?"

"Perfect", the young man answers around a mouthful. "And the sausage is yummy and juicy !"

Sanji blushes and coughs awkwardly, trying desperately _not_ to see the elephant in the room but failing miserably.

Law squints at Luffy, but certainly doesn’t comment on his boyfriend’s last sentence.

Zoro snorts.

"That’s what you get for hanging out with men", Perona observes. "I should really call Camie instead of staying with you all the time."

Luffy keeps binging what’s on his plate, unfazed by everyone’s reactions.

Thatch leans over the table to grab the water and serves everyone. As he refill Zoro’s glass he adresses the swordsman, "So, Marco told me earlier about bringing you to the dojo later in the week, to train with Vista ?"

Zoro grins. "Yeah, that’s very nice of him."

"Too bad I’ll be working then, I would have loved to see that."

"Oh, right, he said there were a lot of swordsmen in your family, are you one of them ?"

"I am", Thatch announces proudly. "I train with dual swords. It’s been a while since I went to the dojo though, I might be a bit rusty...", he adds sheepishly.

Sanji perks in, smirking. "I didn’t know algae balls could fight."

Zoro glares at Sanji. "I could beat you anytime with Itouryu only."

"Ito-what now ?" The Sous-Chef asks with wide eyes.

Perona provides, "That stands for "one-sword style". He says that because he normally uses three katana."

Sanji is flabbergasted. "You think you’re able to beat me at one third of your capacity ? How are you even supposed to handle the third- okay, don’t tell me. I’ll see that when I beat up _your_ sorry ass for being so sure of yourself."

Zoro raises an eyebrow in disbelief. "I’ll make you swallow that pride of yours, shit cook."

"My cooking is awesome, you boorish savage !" Sanji exclaims.

Thatch pats his younger coworker on the shoulder. "Sanji, calm down", he says, "you’ll settle that at the dojo."

The blond cook huffs. "Will do", he says after a while, glaring at Zoro.

The green-haired man cross his arms against his chest.

Sanji can’t help but stare at how the muscles flex in the movement. He blinks and looks to his side the moment he realizes what he’s doing.

Perona snickers.

Luffy asks around a mouthful, "Sanji, why are you all red ?"

"Not again...", the cook mutters.

Thatch nudges him gently. "S’alright, we’re friends, you can talk to us", a smile creeping up his face by the minute.

Sanji grunts unhappily.

Zoro watches the cook intently but the blond won’t meet his gaze.

Law gets Sanji out of his terrible predicament, addressing the whole table, "Oh, by the way, we’ll go see the play by Thursday, unfortunately my schedule at the hospital is hectic and I won’t be available for the premiere."

Perona smiles, "It’s okay, it’s nice already that you come see us."

Izou turns to Thatch and manages to keep a straight face as he casually asks, "What about you ? Not into theater maybe ?"

"No, no, it’s not that… The thing is, King’s Galley is closed on Sundays and Mondays only so I guess I’ll see the finale", the Pompadoured cook explains.

Sanji adds, "Maybe I’ll come along with you then, I’ve heard Robin could have discounts for the tickets."

"That settles it", Thatch declares with a smile. "Is anyone up for dessert ?"

Their plates are once again removed and the table of seven place their last orders, still advised by Thatch and Sanji as to what to choose.

Zoro observes Law and Luffy as they enjoy the last part of their meal. He notices the little glances and smiles they exchange from time to time, the way Law gently reprimands Luffy when he’s doing something childish, the way Luffy drinks Law’s words like ambrosia. They seemed mismatched at first but now that he watches them more closely they seem to complement each other in a weird but sweet way.

Desserts are, as predicted, lip-smacking, and it’s with their bellies full that the table pay the count and congratulate the local Chefs.

As Sanji, Law and Luffy all live in different directions, they split from the group to return to their respective homes after wishing everyone a good night.

"Shall we get back home ? I’m not too far from Tesoro Hotel so I can bring you all back there", Thatch offers.

Izou smiles warmly. "That would be a pleasure."

Perona sighs behind her smirk, feeling an incoming vague of lovey-dovey and decides to contact the cute waitress the day after so she doesn’t have to witness all of it.

Zoro doesn’t comment, but starts walking towards the subway, leading the group.

Perona’s hand on his shoulder prevents him from going any further.

Thatch takes the lead, chuckling – he remembers Sanji telling him about "the lost marimo" at some point during the weekend – and guides them through the maze of tunnels and staircases of the subway. As they reach their destination, he waves at the three foreigners and only then notices the faintest blush adorning Izou’s cheeks. He thinks about it for the while it takes him to dazedly cross the street… but it’s only when he reaches his quarters above the restaurant that he facepalms and exclaims, "Holy shit ! _That’s_ who they were talking about !"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Next time, rehearsals and training at the dojo !_
> 
> _Thatch will start thinking about a plan to seduce Izou and Ace will meddle some more !_
> 
> _Stay tuned :)_


End file.
